First district-wide 'pride prom' in Surrey brings LGBTQ community together
Heather Kelley and Alisa Atchinson organized the first-ever LGBTQ pride prom in Surrey, B.C., to help students feel accepted on this momentous event in their high school lives. Heather teaches at Guildford Park Secondary and Alisa is a student at the school.
Alisa explained the difference between other proms and the one she is helping organize: "[At a regular prom,] you may not feel comfortable with what you're wearing or who you're with, and you just really question, 'Am I allowed to express myself right now or is it rude to the people around me?'"
To Alisa, pride prom is not just about dressing up and celebrating the conclusion of high school years—it's about celebrating who you are.
"It means to have fun and people finally get to express themselves and do things they may fear," she said.
The idea of a pride prom came out of a lack of a venue in Surrey for LGBTQ youth to get together. The organizers brainstormed ways to make it happen, which is how the idea of a prom came up.
"We wanted to create the space to have everyone come together and be who they are, regardless of their gender identity or sexual orientation," the teacher told Candy.
[Attending pride prom] means to have fun, and people finally get to express themselves and do things they may fear.- Alisa Atchinson, student & pride prom organizer
Heather said the response has been overwhelmingly positive, with many students from other school districts in the Greater Vancouver area expressing their desire to attend the prom.
"We're hoping this will spur other school districts on to having a similar event," she explained.
Organizing the Surrey pride prom has given Heather the opportunity to raise issues relevant to the LGBT community to fellow educators.
"As an LGBTQ member, I think it's really exciting to be a part of this," Heather told Candy. "I didn't have the opportunity to have this kind of a prom when I was in high school, so it's really wonderful and powerful to get to be a part of this right now, working with these students."